Tagged
by Childish Sadism
Summary: One number and one letter, it was all he lacked. Starting from the bottom and working your way to the top was not something he envisioned but when he is kept in the dark it harms more than helps him. Sequel of Not You.


So I decided to make my own AU about what happened with these boys during their teenager years! This happens a little bit after the events of _ **Not You**_ , so I highly recommend reading that before jumping into this wagon.

Warnings: Violence and smut. My grammar and spelling and such! Honestly...the must just happened cuz my Worick muse is a thirsty hoe.

[Brackets will be used to show Nicolas' sign language]

* * *

Money was still a very alien concept to him. You need money, Worick would say, and to be honest Nicolas wasn't exactly sure for what reason.

You need money to buy food, you need money to have a home, you need money to buy clothes, you need money to survive. It was something that seemed so simple but at the same time overly complicated. If you needed food then you could kill something and cook it. What was a home? And if you were worried about surviving then all you had to do was kill whoever tried to kill you. Clothes? He supposed you would need money for that, so he could understand that reasoning, because Nicolas didn't know how to make clothes, and he also didn't even know how they were made. But Worick did, and he also knew exactly how to keep them away from the alley ways that had corpses on the ground, or beat up women, he also knew how to get them food and the celebre drug that Nicolas so desperately needed, the bottle was in his pocket right now, he could feel the weight.

Worick was always gone after 3pm, then it was just Nicolas. He didn't have a key for the small apartment so he would always leave through the window, closing it behind him. He would leave because as Worick would say 'We are on our own now' and they needed to survive by themselves. It was a simple concept, unlike the stupidity of money. He still was supposed to help Worick and although he wasn't the biggest fan of Nicolas picking up random dangerous jobs, there was not really any other way. Even if Nicolas was ignorant towards the danger he was putting himself into, other people weren't and they would take advantage of this, even if he was tagged but not entirely. He had one tag with his information but his second tag was blank, it had been kept blank by his father to avoid anyone finding out about what he was.

Ah, that's right. The other person that had been obsessed with money had been his father, and Nicolas never got the chance to ask why.

It was because of money that Nicolas was right now holding onto his side, feeling as blood poured out from the wound on his chest. It was a shallow wound and he knew it but he was still bleeding a lot. He was panting, his body swinging from right to left as he kept walking through the dark alley ways. The sun was gone and Nicolas was done with his job. He was holding a plastic bag that had the only evidence of what he had done and only because he was asked to bring it. The person that was going to pay Nicolas wasn't too far now, but the raven honestly couldn't bring himself to walk any faster, by now his body was feeling cold from the blood loss but he wasn't passing out yet which was good.

The old house came into view and Nicolas sighed quietly, he reached the door and knocked loudly, banging his fist against the door even though he obviously couldn't hear the loud banging but he was able to feel the footsteps and soon the door was opening and the old guy that had hired him was looking at him. He looked upset and annoyed at his presence but Nicolas just held the bag for the old guy to see. The man snatched the bag and looked inside before grinning and laughing, the silent laugh that Nicolas was able to feel only seem to echo against his head.

"Good job you little shit, I thought you weren't gonna be able to do it but you pulled through. I had my doubts since you ain't even tagged with a number but ah well..." The man grinned and pulled out some bills from within his pocket. He counted them right and just tossed them at the teen, the money hitting Nicola's face and also falling on the floor. "There you go, if your ass had a number then maybe I would pay more, but your ass still ain't nothing, now piss off." The door was slammed shut and locked leaving Nicolas holding his side and staring down at the money on the ground. It took him a few seconds but the teen eventually bent down to pick up the money, even if it made his wound burn with pain, at least the bleeding wasn't as bad anymore, that was progress.

Nicolas shoved the money in his pocket and then walked home, this time though he didn't jump to get to the window, instead he went up the stairs. The teen reached his apartment door and knocked once, then twice, he even knocked a third time but no one opened up. Worick was probably not home yet, it wasn't that late at night after all but Nicolas was at his limit and before he could stop himself he was leaning against the door and sliding down until he was sitting, his legs stretching out as his hand kept resting on his side while the other one was just resting on his leg. He was tired, and keeping his eyelids open was becoming harder and harder. He tried to stay awake, he really did but his body was in desperate need to rest and soon the teen closed his eyes and passed out, his body slowly sliding down until he was on the floor on his side.

Worick should had been familiar with this scenario by now, but it never ceased to shock him. He had another long night again, he was tired and mentally drained and all he wanted to do was to take a hot shower and sleep with his hair still wet, but instead as he reached his apartment he found Nicolas on the ground with his shirt covered in blood, he looked pale but was breathing evenly which meant he wasn't dead, yet. The blond reacted immediately and opened the door first before grabbed onto Nicolas' arm to pick him up. He wasn't very heavy, and Worick was thankful about that, with little effort he was able to carry him to the bathroom.

The blond sighed loudly as he placed the raven inside the shower and tub combination. He struggled a little bit to get Nicolas's shoes and pants off before doing the same with his shirt, leaving the raven only on his boxers. The shifting and moving was slowly waking up Nicolas and he was struggling to open his eyes but Worick knew he was awake by now. He was able to see the wound and had to sigh in relief when he noticed it wasn't that deep and probably wasn't going to need stitches, it was just long and went from one side of his waist to the other, like if someone had tried to slice him in half but was only able to graze him with the blade. The dry blood was already caking over the wound but Worick couldn't let it stay like that, he walked over to the cabinet underneath the sink and got some pour alcohol out along with some small towels that looked pinkish from all the blood that had been cleaned and washed.

Worick glanced over at Nicolas noticing that the raven's eyes were slightly open now, he was panting quietly but wasn't moving otherwise. He was awake and tired, the dark circles under his eyes were worst than usual and his skin looked so pale. Worick felt bad for thinking that Nicolas looked good like this, but that idea was soon vanished when he would look lower and see the cut on the others stomach, that was for sure a turn off. The blond walked over to the tub and then turned on the shower head, the cold water hitting the raven before Worick fixed it so it was warm.

"Lean away from the water, I gotta clean up your wound, when it starts to burn too much then duck back in, ok?" Worick waited for Nicolas to nod, although it was hardly visible. The blond poured out some alcohol on the piece of cloth but then stopped and grabbed one of the clean cloths and pushed it against Nicolas' mouth, the raven knew what to do right away and let it be pushed inside his mouth before he bit down on it, he took a deep breathe and closed his eyes then. Worick stared down at the wound once again and leaned in to start cleaning the wound. The cloth was rough against the skin, and the alcohol was instantly burning, causing the raven to hiss loudly against the make shift gag in his mouth. He was clenching his stomach and tilting his head back, holding onto the tub as Worick scrubbed the wound clean, getting rid of all the dry blood and also all the dirt on the raven's stomach. When it began to be too much for Nicolas the blond let him move towards the water, allowing for the alcohol to be washed away.

The wound was bleeding again, all the caked on blood was being washed away by the alcohol and the water but once the burning seem to be somewhat better, the raven was sitting towards the edge again and Worick was able to finish cleaning up the wound. He let Nicolas sit under the shower head for a while, helping him get cleaned up as the raven leaned against the wall, the cold tile feeling so perfect against his burning skin. In the end Nicolas was pushed back against the opposite corner of the tub, as Worick also got in and took a shower, the raven sitting with his legs tugged in and his face buried against his knees. He was still in pain, but now that the wound was clean it wasn't burning as bad. Worick finished his shower and was the first one to dry himself off and put on his sleeping clothes. He helped Nicolas dry his hair and let the other change his underwear to a dry one before making him sit on the toilet. The blond got some bandages from the same cabinet and wrapped them up around Nicolas wound.

"We are done, come one lets go to bed. I'm beat." Worick sighed quietly and walked out of the bathroom, making his way to their bed. He sat there, and his hands move on their own as he reached for the packet of cigarettes that were on the night table, he lit one up and then took a long drag, before exhaling through his nose. Nicolas was taking a bit to get out of the bathroom but once he did he was holding something in his hand, he was lightly limping and was hugging his side with his free arm. The raven walked over and then dropped the money he had collected on the night table. He looked over at Worick and the blond glanced at the money and then took another drag of his cigarette.

"You idiot..." The blond mumbled, not letting the other read his lips before he pulled him over so the two could lay down on the bed. He huffed and squished his cigarette on the old night table before pulling Nicolas closer to himself. "Go to sleep." he mumble against the raven's hair and then closed his eyes. He was so tired, but as Nicolas fell asleep and his breathing was able to even out, Worick found himself relaxing and eventually he fell asleep as well.

* * *

Nicolas was already awake by the time Worick woke up. The raven wasn't moving and was still on the bed but only because the older teen had one of his arms wrapped around his waist, keeping him in place. He hadn't even felt Nicolas struggle to get away, which meant he probably hadn't and was just waiting for Worick to wake up. Over all the raven looked better, his skin color looked healthier and he also didn't look in pain anymore and if he was, it wasn't enough to bother him.

Worick yawned and stretched as he sat on the bed, letting go of Nicolas and allowing him to do the same thing. The raven let out a noise as he yawned and Worick leaned in against him, before just flat out squishing him against the bed once more. Nicolas let out another noise and then lightly pushed on him, his hands moving and to tell him to get off but Worick was just shaking his head.

"Don't wanna." The blonde said, looking down at him before flat out squishing him again. Nicolas made a face but then pushed on Worick's shoulders before finally giving up and just letting the other lay on top of him. The wound on his stomach was burning a bit from the horseplay but not enough for him to care much.

"Hey, Nicolas. What did you do yesterday? You got paid huh?" Worick groaned and rolled off of the raven, his legs stretching out and hooking around Nicolas's waist when the other tried to sit up.

[Old guy wanted me to teach a guy some lesson] Nicolas moved his hands with some hesitation still, but the practice was making it so he was able to communicate a bit faster. Worick had already memorized almost all the hand signs in the book, so he knew he would understand him no matter what.

"And that's all he paid you? What a jerk." Worick tsk'd with a sneer and shook his head. "You gotta stop selling yourself so cheap, it ain't worth it if you are only gonna get paid scraps."

The raven nodded his head but then blinked a few times when he remembered something the old guy had mention.

[What does having a number means?] As if to point out what he was talking about, the raven was holding his tags and lightly shaking them.

Worick hummed quietly, he was leaning back against his hands and looking away now but with his face still facing Nicolas so he could read his lips. "Tag numbers are given to Twilights depending on some shit..." He was lying now, he knew exactly how these things worked, his teacher had taught him this. "It shows how strong you are and stuff, but don't worry about that..." The blond chuckle and pulled Nicolas over, his hand holding onto his face as the other held on the back of his neck. "You have a blank tag, and people think you are a mercenary dog, we will be alright."

Nicolas tilted his head in confusion, frowning just a little bit because it didn't make sense. If he had a number on his tag then he could get more money for the jobs he did, meaning that Worick wouldn't have to work as much and they could have better food and electricity. It would be the right thing to do.

"Hey, quit thinking about it, you are gonna burn out your brain."

Nicolas tilted his head a little further, the confusion and curiosity obvious in his eyes. "Just drop it, alright?" Worick mumbled, and before Nicolas could continue on the blond was already leaning in and covering the raven's lips with his own. It never ceased to shock Nicolas and it was extremely amusing for Worick. The blonde grinned as he pulled back and then pushed on Nicolas, the raven just fell back down on the bed, his face half buried against the sheets as he tried to hide his face. In the end Worick had to laugh at how embarrassed Nicolas was.

* * *

Worick was gone again, he had left at the same time as always and Nicolas was left on his own. He was told to not to do something too hard since he was still hurt, which made it somewhat hard for the raven to know what exactly to do. He ended up getting a couple of jobs here and there, nothing crazy just easy deliveries that weren't even dangerous, but the pay had been awful. He was left with nothing to do but walk through the streets and hope to find another listing, maybe he should check other boards but he hardly doubted he could find something worth while. He needed to be able to fight and that had been a definite no from Worick.

With no where to go Nicolas ended up near the full twilight side of town, it was where most of the twilights would live and also had their own business. It was a small corner in such a big city, but it belonged to no one else but the people with tags. No one really spoke about the place since hardly any humans dared to go there and the people controlling the city didn't care for it, as long as the twilights were not causing problems and keeping their business to themselves, plus follow the three big rules, it didn't matter to them. Some humans would of course try to start trouble but their safety couldn't fully be secured if they adventured there by themselves.

Nicolas was dragging his feet, holding his sword and looking around with curious eyes. The place was new and the buildings obviously didn't look at all nice, neither did the streets. A lot of people where living on the streets with small tents that they had set up for themselves. There were no cars driving around, instead the streets were being used by the twilights as another place to set up their homes or their small business. The raven could see a few people selling food, others clothing and so on. It was relatively smaller than the market place further downtown but the buildings reminded Nicolas of his new home. The yellowed walls, the filthy bricks and the doors that looked like they were about to break. It was very different, but also relate able. One thing that Nicolas did notice right away was the fact that all the twilights in this place had numbers on his tags, unlike him. The raven stared down at his blank tag, tilting his head, this was what the old guy from yesterday meant. He needed a number, but his father had never said anything about it, he was given a blank tag to keep his identity a secret and it never changed, specially after they started to work for Worick's family. Nicolas being there and working there was a huge risk and his real identity had been kept a secret for as long as it was possible.

The streets started to become more crowded as Nicolas kept walking, a few times a couple of people would give the raven an odd look but it was to be expected, in a close community like that, strangers were obviously an odd sight but the teen was oblivious of this and kept walking. He only stopped when he noticed that the buildings where slowly becoming crowded with ads and propaganda. Nicolas stopped and tried to read through them, although he was still a very slow reader and had a bit of a hard time. He was able to make up most of the words, but none of these ads were for jobs he needed or wanted to take, most of it was long term jobs and it asked for older people. The last ad did caught his eye though, only because it had a drawing of dog tags on it. He walked over and slowly started to read the ad.

 _Net_

 _Twilight ranking cage fighting._

 _Fight, bet, earn a higher rank._

Nicolas could feel his eyes widening, does that meant he could have a number? Like all the other twilights around him? If that's what it meant then this is exactly what he needed. He could have a number like the others, and he could get better jobs. The ad had an address on it, but Nicolas had no idea where that was and it said that the fights would start by eight o'clock and he had no idea what time it was. There was still sunlight around him so it wasn't eight already but he wasn't sure how long he had before the fights started. He panicked a little bit and looked at the address once more before just tearing off the paper. It had a street name that was very clear, and a number, he just had to look for it.

The raven began to move quickly, he was trying not to run just in case he accidentally crashed against someone, starting a fight when he was in such a big rush wouldn't really be a good idea. He kept looking at the signs on the street corners, rubbing his lips together, this place wasn't so big, all he had to do was be fast and he should be able to make it. Luckily for Nicolas he wasn't the only one already heading there, and he was able to get a glimpse of a group of twilights with different weapons that were walking towards a narrow street. He moved towards that direction and the narrow street was crowded but on one of the corners the raven could clearly read the name of the street, the one he'd been looking for. He kept following the group, sticking close behind them but not close enough to make himself known.

The small group of twilights slowly grew, until a decent amount were gathering outside a huge warehouse with only one open door. There was a long table right next to the door and Nicolas noticed how the twilights were signing up for the fights and also the people behind the table were checking out their tags. This was a problem, what if they didn't let him in because he didn't have a number? The teen still waited in line, not noticing the odd stares. He was somewhat sticking out, he was new, had a katana in his hands and was showing no intention to socialize. Even the tough and bigger twilights that looked dangerous were laughing and talking to people they knew.

It was Nicolas's turn now, and the man gave him a pen that the teen held with his left hand, his name was written down with capital letters and lower cases but besides that they didn't seem to mind. The older man then snatched his tags and frowned when he didn't see a number.

"Hey, Mike, this one doesn't have a number."

It was an issue after all uh? At least he tried.

Another man turned his attention towards the teen and then looked at his tag before waving one of his hands uncaringly. "Says he is from a mercenary group, probably hasn't earned a rank yet that's why. Give him a D/5 and put him in that group."

"Wouldn't that be bad if he is stronger than that?"

"No one gets killed in these fights, it doesn't matter."

Nicolas was glad the two didn't speak too fast, he was able to follow the whole conversation easily. The guy in front of him looked through a small box of tags and then gave him one, the letter and number D/5 on clear and big letters. It was Nicolas' number, his first number. He bowed his head at the man and then left, following the people that were done signing up. He kept staring at his dog tag, his fingers gently running over the edge and then the numbers. He wasn't sure why, but having this made him feel somewhat...good, and he didn't know how or why. It was an odd feeling, like he belonged here even though he had never been in this side of town before.

The raven was allowed inside the warehouse, rows and rows of lights on the ceiling kept the huge space highly illuminated. The entrance was simple, and to the right there was a bar with several tables and costumers that were already drinking and crying over their lost money and to the left there was an entrance for the lockers that the fighters were given during their stay. Some food vendors were busy serving costumers different types of snacks and fried food, it reminded Nicolas of an open market place except more organized and clean. The main room however was blocked and only had a huge double door entrance, that's where Nicolas was going. He kept walking and went through the pair of doors, his eyes looking around. The room was massive, with rows and rows of bleachers that went up to the ceiling. In the middle of the room there was a big cage with a white ring that was right now being cleaned by two boys no older than Nicolas. There was only one more room in the fighting ring and that was a large room that was above the bleachers with glass all around it and tinted windows, you couldn't see inside at all.

The bleachers were slowly getting full, twilights were filling up the seats left and right, eating or drinking. Nicolas couldn't see anymore of the twilights with weapons though and so he walked out of the fighting ring and instead looked around to see if he could follow a group again. Two guys with weapons showed up again, and these ones went inside the locker room. The raven follow suit, holding his sword a bit tighter as he went inside. The locker room was filled with people, and most of them were large guys or women, and Nicolas once again stuck out like a sore thumb but if it was bothering him or not, no one could tell because he looked as blank as ever. He just sat on the floor near one of the lockers, with his legs close to his chest. He looked around once more, and he could see a few people that looked young and not as big, probably teenagers just like him.

The large group waited, some of them talking among themselves while some others kept quiet, watching who they might fight in the near future. It was a good ten minutes before a man in his thirties walked in, holding a clipboard in his hand. He was a tall man with blond hair that was swept back, he wore a simple white dress shirt and slacks, nothing too fancy.

"Alright guys, we are about to start. Like always I gotta give you guys a quick reminder. There is only one major rule, no killing. You cannot kill your opponent or wound them to death, if they die because of your fight, then you will be banned from here, and if you kill someone in that ring, you will be banned and turned in as well, if you are not killed by the owner himself first. Second rule, no fighting outside the ring. I repeat, no fighting outside the ring. Now that we have that out of the way, the fights will be divided in sections, like always. Ds will go first, followed by Cs, then Bs and lastly As. If you have a D tag, please step forward." The blond man motioned with his hand next to him, and a decent amount of people moved towards him, including Nicolas that had been able to read the guy's lips this whole time.

"Great, now numbers are mixed guys, only letters are separated so the best of luck to you guys. The rest of you can either watch from the bleachers until the next letter is announced or stay here. You can also place bets..." Some of the twilights left while others just stayed where they were. "Alright guys, follow me." The blond man said and motioned with his hand for the group to follow. The locker room was connected to a waiting room, that had a large white board on it. Names were already written on it and the crowd rushed towards the board, trying to see who they were fighting with. Nicolas waited, he was too short to see above most of these people and he didn't want to even bother to try to squeeze himself in between all of them. Little by little the group left and Nicolas walked over, noticing that his name was written above someone else named Charls. He was going to fight that man and he wasn't even sure who it was, not like it mattered.

"As you know, if you win two out of three fights in your group, you can then advance a number. If you lose two fights you are done for the night as well but your number will not be removed. One of our people will come get you when is your turn to fight. Good luck." And with that the blond man was gone, leaving through the double doors. The muffle screams of the crowd could be heard through the walls. People were cheering and screaming in excitement, but Nicolas was oblivious of all of this. He could feel vibrations around him and on the walls, but nothing else.

It wasn't long before two people in the group left, then another two, and another two soon followed. Only one would come back at a time, their heads hanging low in shame but they were still not defeated. Nicolas's turn came sooner than expected. The first enemy he was going to fight was easily double his size and was probably in his early twenties. He stood up just like Nicolas and followed the man that was coming to get them. The two walked through the double doors and the crowd when wild again. They were screaming and cheering, as the two were guided to the caged ring. Nicolas opponent used two long daggers that were kept on his waist belt. He looked ripped and obviously worked out, so it was no surprise to anyone that he looked extremely overconfident to be fighting a kid.

The two fighters were taken to the cage ring and the door was closed behind them. Nicolas was looking around, ignoring the referee that was standing on the middle of the ring.

"No killing boys, that is all. You start as soon as the bell rings." He pointed towards the bell on the top of the cage and then stepped back, and outside the cage.

Nicolas couldn't kill, he couldn't kill this mind and with that in mind he grabbed the red cloth that was tied around the handle of his katana and wrapped it around the casing as well, keeping the blade locked away while still allowing him to use his weapon. Nicolas' opponent however, was pulling out his daggers and smirking. It was a rule that you couldn't kill your opponents or mortally wound them, but that didn't mean you couldn't hurt them.

"Yo, shrimp. You should have thought this through." Nicolas opponent had lightly tanned skin, and his brown hair was tied in a high pony tail. He was grinning and moving to his battle stance. He suddenly charged towards the teen, and Nicolas then knew that the bell had probably rang. The man moved quickly but for Nicolas he was somewhat slow. He knew how to fight that much was obvious but somehow, even though he was a twilight, he was still slower than his father. He was able to avoid the attacks easily, and jumped backwards when the man tried to slash his side. The raven easily landed on his feet, his head tilting as the man glared at him.

"Quit jumping you little shit, what the fuck are you? A god damn cricket." He hissed and charged at Nicolas once more, play time was over. He was vicious this time, the daggers moving to aim towards the teen's arms and legs, and at some point he did cut through Nicolas' jacket, but the teen moved then. The force the man had used to try to cut him, had given him the biggest opening. The raven pulled his sword and with one swift movement, the katana hit the man square on the face, sending him flying backwards and against the ring wall. The man was bleeding, his nose broken, yet, he stood up tried to keep fighting. He was growling and glaring at the teen, but Nicolas kept looking at him with the same calm, and docile expression. He kept dodging his attacks, and avoiding his kicks, he even side stepped most of his punches and as he kept fighting he became slower, his stamina slowly wearing off until Nicolas once again hit him with his katana, this time square in the stomach, making the man spit out blood. The twilight fell on the ring, holding his stomach with is weapons now on the floor. He was curling up and the referee was stepping into the ring, checking on him before nodding.

"He is fine people." He announced, but the stadium was quiet, Nicolas couldn't feel any vibrations and it made him somewhat happy. The whole place was quiet, like his whole world. Except he didn't know why they were quiet. It didn't cross his mind that the people were in shock of what just happened. Nicolas had just taken down a man twice his size and probably age and without getting hurt. He had fought flawlessly. The teen looked around and then moved towards the exit of the ring, walking back into the locker room, although he wasn't even sure if he was supposed to be there yet, he went back inside and sat on the same corner, with his legs close to his chest and he waited...he waited for his turn once more.

Nicolas was called back to the ring a second time after the people in front of him fought their second battle. This time he was fighting a twilight that had a mask and also used a whip with a sharp end. The man had short red hair that was sticking out in odd places, like he had cut it himself. He didn't look cocky like Nicolas' last opponent, in fact he seem to be studying him. The crowd was loud again, the vibrations were frustrating the raven. It was harder to ignore them when they were being so loud. It was just a presence he could feel, on top of him, behind him and on the sides but he could never reach it. Maybe this is what it was like to feel annoyed, this is what Worick felt when he said he was frustrated.

The raven's opponent got into position, their being stretched by both of their hands as they waited. It was a different type of battle, the man was waiting for Nicolas to make the first move. He was moving around the ring, circling Nicolas until the raven moved. He launched forward and then the older male moved as well, the whip was swung towards Nicolas chest and he was hardly able to dodge it by bending backwards, the whip missing him only by an inch. The teen rolled back to his feet, his katana now in one of his hands as he moved to his right. He moved again and the twilight responded right away by swinging his whip towards his legs, forcing him to jump and twist his body before landing on his feet again. He wasn't letting him get close, he knew how to read him well.

Nicolas tilted his head, watching as the man assumed his position again, his narrowed eyes staring at him through the black mask. He was calm, and waiting...still he could only react to one movement at a time. The raven took a deep breathe and then finally unsheathed his sword. There was an audible gasp in the audience follow by some cheering. The long katana that was almost Nicolas' size was easily being held by one of his hands. He attacked again, running towards the man before the whip once again reached for his feet, and as it did Nicolas jumped, his back twisting before he threw his sword towards the ring and then landed on his feet again. He ran towards the man quickly and his opponent tried to respond but his whip wasn't able to move. The sword the raven had thrown had impaled the whip into the ring. Nicolas was in front of the man in a matter of seconds and his fist was connecting to his face, shattering the black mask and hitting the man square on the jaw. The man reacted then and pushed Nicolas away by kicking him on the stomach, making the teen slide on the floor like a cat, but he was back on his feet right away, his sword next to him. Nicolas reached out for the blade and launched back at the man once more. The older man reacted and used his now free whip to block the sword swings, it was too much though, the sharp blade cut through the whip and Nicolas stopped just in time before slicing the man's head off.

The referee was back in the ring to separate them. Nicolas walked over to pick up the sheath of his sword and then slipped it back in, his feet dragging him out of the ring. He was tired now and felt nauseous. It did happened quite often if he over-worked himself, and fights like these were quite different from the usual jobs he did. He had to hold back and at the same time give it his all. But he did it, he won two fights, which meant only one thing...he could get another number.

The teen walked through the double doors, his body leaning against one of the walls before he pulled out his bottle of pills from his cargo pockets. He opened up the bottle and grabbed one pill before putting it in his mouth and chewing it. The effects reacted immediately, he could already feel his body going back to normal, and he didn't feel cold or as exhausted anymore. He kept leaning against the wall though, until a man approached him, holding a dog tag out for him. Nicolas took the tag and in return gave back the one that was given to him at first. He was now a D/4, still in the D section but no longer a five. It was progress, that's what Worick would have called it.

The raven dragged his feet again and left the locker room. The new dog tag around his neck. He still had one more question to ask though and he completely forgot! He looked around the area outside the stadium, trying to find the people that had taken his name and gaven him his dog tag but he couldn't see them. He kept walking, his sword being held near his chest with both of his hands. As he kept turning his head from one side to the other, he was hardly able to feel the presence of the man that was walking towards him, that was until he bumped straight into him. Nicolas quickly pulled back and bowed his head in an apology, before walking around the rather tall man. He was stopped however, by a hand on his shoulder, only then did the raven looked up. The man had dark skin and long white dreads that reached below his waist, they were kept in place in a half pony tail that was tied in a knot behind his head. He wore a pair of large shades and a nice black suit.

"You look lost kid, what's up with you?" The man let go of Nicolas' shoulder and gave him a half smile.

The teen shook his head, trying to let him know that he wasn't lost but he then remember than only the people that worked here wore the same black suits, or similar. The man in front of him had a black suit, with a dress shirt that was half open, showing his wide chest. He was big, easily five times Nicolas' size but he didn't feel threatening, he had an ease aura around him.

"Figh'...wh'n agai'?" The teen asked, some words being said louder than others. The man looked a bit surprised but he smiled again.

"Each week kiddo. I look forward to seeing you again." The man gave him a firm nod and one last smile before leaving. Nicolas just stared in confusion, not really knowing what to say so he mouthed out a thank you, even if his voice didn't come out.

The walk home was uneventful. The streets were almost completely empty, even in the twilight side of town everyone was already either asleep or probably in the fighting ring. Some people had fires going, while others seem to be considering a late night meal. Nicolas would only look around, noticing the children that were running back and forth, and the parents that were calling them over. The father looked happy as the kids ran back towards him, his arms stretching out to reach for the girl and boy. Nicolas looked away then, his steps quickening as he left what he had seen behind, before he knew it he was running.

The way back to Nicolas' apartment was uneventful, nothing out of the ordinary happened. He ignored the hookers that were asking for costumers, and he ignored the people that were getting mugged or killed. He kept running instead, making it home without any incidents. The raven used one of the light posts to jump towards his window, landing on the tiny balcony easily before opening the window and crawling in. The oil lamp on their table was lit up already, and with just one quick glance Nicolas found Worick sitting on the bed with a book in his hand.

The raven put his sword near the fireplace and took his shoes off, his bare feet making small noises against the hardwood. He went to the bathroom first and locked himself in there. A quick shower was all he needed. Nicolas unwrapped the bandages around his waist and then stripped naked before stepping into the shower. The wound on his stomach felt sore and was burning just a bit, probably from the fighting he had done and the kick he had received earlier. He could clearly see a bruise showing on his stomach, a large one at that. He shook his head, splashing water everywhere and finished up his shower. When Nicolas walked out of the bathroom with a new tank top and regular shorts, Worick was still reading his book, except he was now leaning against the bed frame.

The two had finally been able to afford buying a decent bed, and even though they still had to share, it was a thousand times better than sleeping on the floor with only a mattress. Plus, now Worick didn't have to worry about waking up with a roach on his face again.

Nicolas finished drying his hair and walked over to the bed before sitting there, his head tilting at what Worick was reading. The blond finally looked up at him, giving him a small smirk, he put his book on the small night table and then leaned in towards the raven, forcing him to lean back just a bit.

"And where were you? Didn't I tell you to take it easy?" The blond hummed and then sighed loudly, dropping his arms in defeat. "No matter what I say, you are stubborn in the end, at least that much I KNOW about you."

Nicolas leaned his head against his own shoulder, his legs lightly swinging back and forth as he couldn't touch the floor. He jumped off of the bed and then walked over to the bathroom, getting the little bit of money he had earned before walking back and giving it to Worick. It wasn't much but it should be enough to get them food for a couple of days and that was better than nothing.

"Couldn't find something nice uh? I kinda had the same luck. Two of my regulars did show up but no one knew. It was a slow day..." Worick leaned back against the bed, resting his arms behind his head. "We still gotta get half of the rent money for this month, so I'm hoping something will show up that is worth our time."

Nicolas nodded slowly, rubbing his lips together. [I'll look again tomorrow. My wound is fine] The teen's hands moved and Worick just gave him a small nod, his hand reaching over for the raven before he just pulled him closer and clung to him, dropping his arms over his shoulders and wrapping his legs around his waist from the side.

"Just make sure you don't get all hurt again. If you get seriously hurt then we gotta go to the doctor and that will cost us a lot. Keep that in mind." Worick yawned and buried his face against Nicolas' neck, feeling the raven nodding at his words. He smelled like soap, and Worick found himself pulling the other closer before just flat out biting his neck. Nicolas jumped and grit his teeth at the sudden bite, his body jerking a bit before he turned to look at Worick. He gently pushed on his head but the blond only huffed in return and bit harder, this time sucking on the skin, his tongue running over the clean flesh as he sucked it in. Worick hummed, and moved, his body slowly pushing Nicolas onto the bed as he got on top of him and kept sucking on his neck, picking a different spot to bite this time.

Nicolas squirmed under the blond, his body twisting just a bit before Worick snickered at him and leaned down to bite on his cheek next, sucking on it hard enough to make a popping noise when he pulled away. Nicolas let out a loud noise and covered his cheek then, hissing quietly as he pushed on Worick's face with a noise.

"You are cute, Nicolas." Worick grinned at him, and leaned in, his lips brushing against Nicolas as he moved forward just enough to kiss him.

Cute? What was being cute? And how was Nicolas supposed to react to this. Worick only confused him more and more by the day. He made him feel odd for not knowing how to react to the actions he did, yet it wasn't like he hated it, it wasn't that at all, it just was something too new. Still, he found himself closing his eyes as Worick deepened the kiss. The blond was tilting his head, holding onto Nicolas' face and pulling him closer as his tongue slowly pushed its way inside the raven's mouth. He tasted like cigarettes and it wasn't the best taste in the world, but there was something else there that kept Nicolas from pulling back and making a face. The way Worick would push his tongue against the roof of his mouth and then his lips, was just paralyzing him from doing anything. The raven found himself holding onto Worick's shirt, his fists tight against the fabric and the blond's hand slowly moved from his face to his neck, rubbing the skin there before moving to his shoulders and then his sides. He held onto Nicolas' waist then, holding tightly and pulling him towards his hips as he slowly rolled them against his. Worick just moved so fluently, so easily when it came to this. Did Nicolas even look this flawless when fighting at least? He could remember his father saying that he was trash and needed to stop being a burden, so he couldn't really think that he could do anything well at all.

Worick distracted the raven from thinking down that road by yanking on his shirt, pulling it off easily and making Nicolas squirm and arch his body to let the piece of clothing slip off. Worick slipped in between the raven's legs, pulling him closer by his hips to lift his body against his thighs. The blond leaned down again, his mouth lazily biting on Nicolas' chest here and there as his hands kept rubbing on his hips. The skin underneath him was getting cold, except on the small spots his mouth was touching, and then there were goose bumps crawling over Nicolas' skin. Worick grinned as the raven shivered and looked at him, one of his eyes closed while the other was lazily staring at him.

The blond moved his hand over Nicolas' chest now, rubbing on the smooth yet rough skin that had scars here and there. Worick moved his mouth around the dog tags in front of him, glancing at them before blinking when he noticed something different. The dog tag that had been blank now had a D/4 on it. The blond pulled back, startling the raven as he looked up at him with semi-wide eyes, his head tilting his confusion.

[What's wrong?] Nicolas quickly asked, trying to sit up but the position wasn't letting him.

Worick just kept staring at Nicolas, his eyes wide as he stared at the dog tag and then the raven. Nicolas had a number one, a number. He was branded as a twilight now, what he was, what he had always been. Worick wasn't truly sure why it shocked him, this was normal in between twilights, but maybe deep inside of him he was still denying the fact that Nicolas, scrawny and short Nicolas was indeed what people would have considered a monster. It was even more amusing considering the fact that he had murdered his whole family. But maybe this is what Worick had been doing the whole time, denying it. Denying everything in his head to try to forget of what happened. Of the hate that was somewhere deep inside still. He still hated Nicolas for what he had done, he still really did. But trying to pretend like things hadn't changed was easier, just like when Nicolas' father abandoned him.

The raven in front of him, that had scars and was smaller than him, that had been abused just like him, was the one that murdered his family and was now branded as what he was. People would know he was dangerous, and people would avoid him, they won't get close to him, they won't talk to him. It was a good thing, it was part of what Worick had wanted. Yet, it was funny, he was mad, he could feel hate in his chest, but he had slept with Nicolas, not only once either. He enjoyed having him against his body, forcing him underneath him and taking his mouth as his own. He loved doing all of this, maybe it was possessiveness he never realized he had, because for once he could call something his own. For once it wasn't his father's money, his family, his house, his business, no, Nicolas belonged to Worick, whatever he died with painful memories or not, would also depend on him. It was that simple.

"I'm fine."

Nicolas tilted his head, looking up at Worick noticing that the other was smiling down at him, his blue eyes staring him down and moving lower and lower. The raven felt self conscious then, and squirmed a little bit, just enough to turn so he was laying down on his side. He closed his eyes, resting his face against the sheets before a hand gently moved over his face until it was over his eyes.

"Say, you can't tell what I'm telling you when you are like this, uh? I guess that's a good thing. If you ended up blind, or with your tongue missing...then you would truly be helpless." The blond tilted his head, and bit down on his bottom lip. But knowing Nicolas he would just look at him with the face again and again, even if he became a mute and blind, even if his limbs were gone and his body was torn to shreds. The same face would still be there, the obedience that was trained and pushed into him, the same face that never asked why.

Worick leaned in, resting his forehead on the raven's shoulder. Nicolas was a twilight, there was no more pretending, there was no more ignoring it. It was a fact that Worick had to realize and accept.

The blond hummed against the skin underneath him, his lips brushing over Nicola's shoulder before he let go of his face and instead pulled him towards him again, this time forcing the raven to sit on his lap in between his legs. Nicolas blinked at him, his eyes slightly wide and confused although Worick just grinned at him and leaned in to kiss the corner of his lips, his hands rubbing over Nicolas' back before moving lower to squeeze his ass with both of his hands. The raven yelped and was forced to lean against Worick, his back arching as his face turned a slight shade of red right away. He bit down on his bottom lip, pushing on Worick's chest and looking at him with a half glare but the blond did nothing but smirk in return and kiss his lips once more.

The pair of hands slowly pulled the shorts down, leaving the raven exposed. Nicolas was soft, even if he was rough and strong, he still felt soft, not like a woman, but softer than Worick's hands felt. There was a roughness to the blond that he didn't know, and that Nicolas lacked, even if he was the violent one.

"I been wanting to do this since I got home, I was somewhat disappointed when you weren't here." Worick nodded, murring quietly as his half lidded eye stared down at the raven. Nicolas only rolled his eyes at him and Worick in return pulled him closer to his lap, so their chests were pressing together and Nicolas could feel the budge inside Worick's pants. The blond tilted his head and leaned in to bite down on the raven's bottom lip, his hand reaching for something underneath the pillow, it was a bottle of lotion and with a chuckle against those soft lips he popped it open and poured some of it in his hands.

The blond gently brushed his fingers against Nicolas' opening, spreading out the lotion as his other hand gently spread out his ass cheeks to allow for the lotion to be spread out there as well. He twitched in need and then pushed his middle finger inside the opening, watching as Nicolas tightened up right away and held tightly onto his shirt.

"Ahaha, you still act the same. I told you to relax before." Worick snickered and rested his chin on Nicolas shoulder so he could stare down at what he was doing. He could see his middle finger slowly pushing in and out of the opening, the lotion slowly spreading around the inner walls before a second finger was added, this time Worick's ring finger. The two digits slowly spread apart, thrusting and spreading, opening up the tight hole. He could feel Nicolas' ass ring twitching and pulsating against his fingers, and his inner walls trying to push onto his fingers before sucking them in. The raven was panting against him and Worick started to rub his back in return.

"Like that, calm down." The blond knew that Nicolas couldn't hear him, but his lips were still moving against his shoulder. The raven was breathing evenly again, one of his hands holding onto Worick's leg as the other ended up around his torso. Nicolas' face was buried against Worick's neck, and the blond couldn't help himself but to peek at him from the corner of his eyes. He ran his eyes over Nicolas' neck down to the tattoo in between his shoulders. He stared at it, forgetting to move his fingers for a minute. Eventually the blond looked away, his fingers pushed further inside the younger teen. He was stretched enough, his fingers were moving easily inside of him, and with that in mind Worick pulled his shorts down with one of his hands, making Nicolas lift his hips as he did so.

Worick pulled Nicolas near him once more, this time holding on his hips to guide him. The raven looked over and closed his eyes, knowing what was coming. Worick only chuckled in response and then slowly lowered the other on top of his member, holding onto his cock and guiding it inside the raven's entrance, blue eye staring at Nicolas the whole time. It was worth it. The shorter male gasped, his mouth opening as he started to pant, his chest tightening as he was penetrated. He could feel his insides burning but not hurting, it was hot and wet and Worick's member was slowly pushing inside, filling him up. It felt so big like this, bigger than when he was on his back. Nicolas groaned, tilting his head back with his eyes widening as Worick's whole length slipped in. He was panting non-stop now, his lips trembling and his hands holding tightly onto Worick's arms. It was hot, and it was tight, even his legs felt numb.

Worick kept his eye on the raven, never looking away. The way Nicolas would bite on his bottom lip, the way he would close his eyes and let out small noises. He wanted him to scream, to stop holding back, he wanted his voice to tear from how Worick was making him feel. He wanted all of this. The blond held back, letting the raven get used to the feeling once more. Nicolas was trembling and tilting his head against his own shoulder, his body twitching and jerking here and there. It was too much for Worick, if he kept looking he was going to start pounding the raven's ass without an ounce of restraint, he had to wait. He had to wait, but then Nicolas let out one of those little noises and it was too much.

The blond held onto Nicolas' hips once more, but this time he pulled him up, most of his cock slipping out before he pushed him down again, pushing his whole member back inside the tight hole. It was the first time Worick heard it then, and he even stopped what he was doing, his eye widening as he stared at Nicolas with an open mouth. The raven had screamed, he screamed in pleasure and his head was hanging low, a dark blush on his face as his eyes were struggling to stay open. He was panting non-stop, his lips moist. Whatever little self-control Worick had was thrown out the window at that sight. He crushed his lips against Nicolas and held him close to himself as he pushed him down against the bed, with the blond now in between his legs. He couldn't stop now, he truly couldn't. Worick growled against the kiss, his hips thrusting in and out of the raven.

Nicolas was tilting his head back, and Worick's lips kept following his mouth, biting on his lips or kissing his chin. He kept him close by keeping his arms around his torso and shoulders, pressing him against himself and making the raven unable to squirm or move away. The blond was keeping him pinned against the bed as he kept fucking him. Each thrust was a whole, with Worick pulling almost all the way out before pushing back inside, filling him whole each time and forcing another scream out of the raven. By now Nicolas' panting was heavy, his chest rising and falling as he tried to get air in his lungs, but each time he did Worick would thrust back inside, making him let out another loud whimper or moan. It was hard to keep up with the blond, his head was becoming dizzy, and his eyes were clouded. He could feel himself drooling from the corner of his mouth and his moist eyes were making everything blurry.

Worick finally pulled back just enough to let the raven twist his body and take a deep breathe, his lungs quickly raising and falling before the blond's hands held onto Nicolas', pinning them against the bed as he used the new found support as his advantage to thrust faster inside the raven. It was so much, Nicolas couldn't even remember feeling this much the first time they did it. Worick wasn't stopping, he kept going, thrusting hard and fast inside of him, hitting that spot that was making him arch his back off of the bed and scream. He had never screamed in his life. It was hurting his throat but he couldn't help himself but to do it. He could feeling his consciousness slipping away but not really, it was almost like he was floating and his whole body was becoming light, just like a feather. He felt soft, and his body was hot. All of this was happening at once and then he couldn't think anymore, it just felt good and Nicolas body kept reacting on its own, taking over completely.

Worick groaned, keeping his one eye open as he stared down at Nicolas. The raven was completely lost, he had done this to him. He could see it in his stare, he could see it and feel it on his body. He had never seen Nicolas like this. He loved it, it was addictive, it was a whole new side of the raven had never seen and suddenly Worick was starving for more, more, more. He needed to have Nicolas like him, just Worick. He wanted to see him like this every day, to see all the expressions he had, to see him happy, to see him mad, to see him cry and to see him upset...to see him smile. He wanted to see all of this. The blond hissed quietly, his body thrusting a bit faster now that he could feel his release coming. He angled his cock to thrust against Nicolas prostate again, watching as the raven moaned loudly and turned his head, panting and biting on his bottom lip. He could feel Nicolas toes curling and his legs tensing up. He was going to cum soon. Worick licked his lips and reached down to stroke Nicolas' member, his hand pumping the shaft and a few strokes was all that was needed. The raven came with another scream, his head tilting back as his eyes widening and his hole became tighter.

Worick closed his eyes, his forehead leaning against Nicolas' chest. He moaned and gave one final thrust inside the raven before he came. He came inside the other teen, feeling how the raven's opening was pretty much keeping him inside, Nicolas was so tight Worick couldn't even force himself to pull out. It wouldn't work, instead the blond kept his forehead resting against the teen's chest, feeling as his breathing was slowing down little by little, until it was even and steady. Worick looked up then and noticed that the raven had his eyes closed, his body had gone soft and fully relaxed.

Nicolas was asleep and Worick found himself staying where he was. Eventually one of his hands moved to rub underneath the raven's eyelids, feeling on the dark bags under his eyes. The same fingers moved lower then, on top of Nicolas' lips and lastly his neck.

"It's bullshit, you know." Worick mumbled to no one but himself. "How you make it really hard for me to hate you like I should." The blond chuckle and pulled away before covering the raven with a blanket while he sat down on the bed naked and with a brand new lit cigarette in between his lips. Worick blew the smoke through his nose, his hand stroking Nicolas' neck again and then reached for the dog tags. He stared at the D/4 engraved on there, and chuckled to himself. Nicolas had done this on his own, without the need of Worick.

It was progress.

* * *

I like the idea of Nicolas little by little becoming who he is in the show now, since he was so different when he was younger. Hopefully I can write their relationship in a way that it satisfies me!

Worick though, I think he had a lot of growing up to do.

Reviews amuse me!


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